Jayvaughn Pinkston had quite the health scare over the summer, as he underwent a pair of surgical procedures to help him recover from MRSA, a staph infection, in his leg. Zach Braziller of the NY Post has the details:

One morning, Villanova’s star junior forward couldn’t get out of bed, unable to put any weight on his right leg. He needed crutches to get around. His leg felt funny, like it was in a microwave overheated. Puss was oozing out of his calf and it was turning orange.

That does not sound pleasant.

The first procedure was simple: four small incisions in his leg to try to drain some of the puss, but that didn’t work so Pinkston had to undergo surgery. He now has a clean bill of health, but that shouldn’t downplay the seriousness of the matter.

MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, can be fatal. It’s not an exaggeration to say that if doctors hadn’t identified the infection as early as they did, Pinkston could have lost his leg. It’s the same infection that has plagued the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.

Pinkston missed a month worth of workouts and didn’t even touch a ball for three weeks, but assuming he can himself back into shape, he should be ready to go by the time the season begins.